All potential donors will undergo a complete medical and psychosocial evaluation. Not everyone is suitable or eligible to become a living liver donor based on a number of factors such as pre-existing medical conditions, psychosocial concerns, or liver size. Donating an organ is a personal decision that should only be made after becoming fully informed about its potential risks and benefits.
Approximately 5.3 million people in the US have hepatitis. Listen as Dr. Stacey Rizza breaks down the ABCs of hepatitis. Vaccines protect against hepatitis A, and are especially important for children and travelers. Hepatitis C is transmitted from person to person through bodily fluids. The virus can cause liver damage and death.
COMMENTS:
For the past three months, hundreds of cases of severe hepatitis cases among children have been noticed, especially in England and America, but present in more than 50 countries. These cases of Hepatitis were not caused by any of the usual suspects.
This puzzling increase in pediatric hepatitis apparently is due to Adenovirus 41, plus infection with adeno-associated virus 2. The double requirement is probably why it took a while to crack the causation mechanism. Genetic factors and the Covid lockdown may also have contributed.
—Dr. C.
Learning about liver cancer can be intimidating. Let our experts walk you through the facts, the questions, and the answers to help you better understand this condition.
Video timeline: 0:00 Introduction 0:22 What is liver cancer? 2:04 Who gets liver cancer? / Risk factors 3:02 Symptoms of liver cancer 3:52 How is liver cancer diagnosed? 4:48 Treatment options 5:36 Coping methods/ What now? 6:00 Ending
For more reading visit: https://mayocl.in/3q8Lzwk
Swelling of the ankles becomes increasingly common as you get older. This swelling can be caused by thrombophlebitis, or skin infections which have been discussed in previous articles. Otherwise it is usually part of a condition called edema.
Edema is commonly caused by problems in the cardiovascular system, kidneys, or liver. Edema can occur in the face and abdominal cavity or elsewhere, But because of gravity and the fact that we are usually upright-on our feet, it is usually is most prominent in the legs, especially the ankles. Edema can be caused by a normal pregnancy. The developing baby puts quite a strain on the heart and circulatory system.
Chronic accumulation of fluid in the tissues usually occurs because of heart and blood vessel problems, liver disease (albumin lack), diet (excess salt intake), kidney disease (deficient salt excretion), vein problems (valve malfunction), and lymphatic problems (surgical lymph node excision).
Obesity contributes by impacting the heart and liver primarily. Proper sleep, diet and exercise help in most of these areas, and edema is rare in healthy people.
I have always considered sugar(obesity, cardiovascular effects) and salt(hypertension, cardiovascular and kidney load) as poisonous. I discovered the valve incompetence in the veins of my left leg because it became more blue than my right leg. With good exercise, sleep, diet program and compression stockings, edema never occurred.
The swelling and stretched shiny skin in the ankles that I see in many of my overweight friends makes a tempting target for germs of all kinds. and small skin sores often follow.
If you developed swelling in your ankles or other areas, it’s best to check with your doctor to get an explanation.
Alcohol has been used by mankind since before recorded history. It causes a pleasant slowdown of the nervous system, Lessening inhibition and loosening the tongue, making it the perfect lubricant for social interaction. Unfortunately, it is a metabolic poison.
Excess alcohol use is common enough to have resulted in its prohibition in the United States in the 20s. The side effects of this prohibition proved worse than its benefits, and alcohol currently enjoys the status of one of the few legally permitted Psychoactive drugs.
After diligently searching for beneficial effects of alcohol, society discovered that mild drinking promotes longevity. It is difficult to drink just the right amount of alcohol, and There is little doubt that excessive drinking is deleterious to the body.
The liver is the organ responsible for getting rid of alcohol. Unfortunately, liver function gradually declines with age, so that the older you get the less alcohol you can tolerate. 14 drinks a week is the suggested upper limits for alcohol’s benefit, and this number shrinks as you get older.
I became interested in alcohol in the elderly because of a friend whose doctor discovered that his red blood cells were enlarged. This can be due to alcohol in at least two different ways. If you drink too much alcohol, you need less calories, and often have a poor diet as a result. B12 (and folic acid) deficiency can result and may cause large red blood cells.
I also learned that alcohol can directly caused large red blood cells because of the toxic effects on the bone marrow, where Red blood cells are made. The very young also have more difficulty with alcohol. Early in my career I discovered 2 young infants who had convulsions after getting into their parents wine closets. These convulsions turned out to be caused by a low blood sugar which developed because glucose, the common blood sugar, is consumed in the process of burning, or metabolizing, alcohol.
My own use of alcohol has been progressively declining with age. I feel good with less alcohol for a shorter time the older I get.
In the U.S., it’s estimated that 4.5 million adults are diagnosed with chronic liver disease. It develops over time and may be caused a number of conditions including hepatitis, genetics, alcohol overuse or cancer. Chronic liver disease is different than acute liver disease which can come on quickly and may be the result of an injury or a virus. Regardless of the cause, Dr. Bashar Aqel, a Mayo Clinic transplant hepatologist says when the liver can no longer function, a life-saving transplant may be needed.
Fatty liver disease is an increasingly common condition that currently affects a third of the population. The most common cause of the disease is obesity. Extra fat in your body from weight gain accumulates in your liver, causing it to swell. Eventually, the cells in your liver will be so overburdened that they die. New cells grow to replace them, but those cells also contain fat. As liver cells continue to die off and regrow rapidly, it causes scarring of the tissue surrounding the organ.
Doctors Without Waiting Rooms 